An Interesting Case
by dolphinz.amazon
Summary: Sherlock Holmes is called in to interrogate a witness to a crime. The witness proves to be just as mysterious as the murder itself, and Sherlock gets to have quite the adventure.
1. A New Case

Detective inspector Lestrade walked up to 221B Baker Sreet and rang the doorbell. "Oh, good, I was hoping you'd come by. I've been bored out of my mind these past few weeks. What is it this time? Serial killings? A murder with no witnesses? A murder with no weapon in sight?"

"Actually, none of the above."

"What then?"

"We have need of your investigative skills. We have a man who is believed to be a witness to a crime, but he won't say anything."

"Well ask another witness! That's just logic."

"There isn't another!"

"I see. You know, I'm perfectly capable of solving the crime without going through a witness."

"Yes, but we want to know about this man. He seems very peculiar. He has no identification of any kind, he's not in any databases, school, work, or police. No one recognizes him. It seems he doesn't exist."

"This could be more interesting than I thought. Take me to him."

"I knew you couldn't resist."

•••

Sherlock was brought into the police examining room. Inside was a man wearing a brown pinstripe suit and red converse. His dark brown hair was sticking up like some sort of wild animal. He looked about thirty. "Right then, I'll leave you to your business," Lestrade said, closing the door as he left.

"Hello!" the man said cheerily, shaking his hand. "You must be Sherlock Holmes. I've heard a lot about you."

"Oh?"

"Word is 'round here, you're quite a genius."

"They said you wouldn't talk."

"These are the first words I've spoken all day. Well, to you lot."

"Your first words are to praise me. I'm flattered."

"I do my best."

"The police told me you may have been a witness to a crime?" The man's face froze. He said nothing. "All right then, I'll try a different question. Who are you?"

"Oh, come on. You're Sherlock Holmes!"

"And what is that supposed to mean?" "You're the greatest detective ever. You can read a whole man's life just by looking at him. Why should I bother to tell you? Prove your skills, Mr. Holmes."


	2. Sherlock's Deduction

Sherlock sighed. "As you wish. You're a man, obviously. At first glance one would think you are 'cool', or at least pretending to be, but one look at your shoes disproves that theory. They do not match the rest of your outfit. You don't care about your clothes, therefore you don't care what people think of you. But your clothes say more than that. Your suit looks quite new, yet it is tattered and worn. It has not been washed for several days, but it is not crumpled as it would be had you slept in it (or removed it to wear pyjamas). Therefore, I must conclude that you have not slept in several days. This indicates that you are a troubled man. Perhaps you have nightmares and thus avoid sleep, or maybe you think it would be wrong to sleep when there are so many other things you could be doing.

And of course there are the shoes. Again, they look new but have seen much use. It seems you do an awful lot of running. You also climb and go through all sorts of dirty places, but don't stop to clean your shoes; they are caked with mud. Why do you run? Are you afraid of something? Someone? Are you running away, or are you running to something? Do you simply enjoy running? No, even the most dedicated runners don't run as much as you. Hm... Maybe the rest of your body will yield the answers. Your hair tells me that you do indeed run, and the wind blows your hair this way an that, but you don't stop to care for your hair either. You have more important things to think about, perhaps? Yes, I think so. Your hands look like they have the dexterity of an engineer, artist, writer, or anything like that, but they are also rough and your fingernails are black, suggesting that you aren't afraid to work and get your hands dirty. You'll do anything for... What? I'm still not sure.

Your face shows many wrinkles and creases. Perhaps it is just a sign of old age, but I think there's something more. Those are lines of worry, sorrow, and regret. Regardless of how old your body is, your mind is old in a sense. It has seen terrible things. You have been through terrible loss. You stiffen as I say this, so I must have hit a sore point. As I've been talking to you, you keep looking back, like you expect someone to be there, but she's not. Yes, I know it's a she. I know that look on your face. You are accustomed to traveling with a companion, but you are alone. Quite recently, judging by the look on your face. Her absence is painful to remember. And she's not the only one. You've had many companions, finding a new one each time you lose someone. That suggests that you are old. Older than I first thought.

Your eyes say it, too. You have seen so much. Good things and bad things, pain, sorrow, death, and yet there is still hope. That's it! You do things in hope! You travel in the hope that you can save people. You save people in the hope that it will make up for... What? You've done something that you've been trying to make up for all your life. That face has seen so much sorrow and pain and suffering. Could it be... No! Surely not! And yet the idea remains.

You did something so awful, so despicable that you've spent the rest of your life saving people, everyone you can, in the hopes that it will someday make up for your sin. You killed, and now you do your best to save. You destroyed, and now you try to create. You made defenseless, and now you try to protect. You had no hope, but now you are a source of hope. You are a remarkable man. But always the bitter regret of your past is lurking. What did you do that torments you so? Nothing could do that to a person unless... It couldn't be. And yet I stare into your eyes, and I know it's true. You committed genocide. But it's worse than that. A person could do that and only feel mildly guilty. You... you... No, surely not! But you did. You killed your own people, and you regret it to this day. You are the last of your kind, and the reason that you are the last of your kind.

But if you killed all your people, and humans are still here... You're not human. I'm sure you can tell me what you are; I know nothing about aliens. I noticed when I shook your hand that your heartbeat is four pulses, not two, meaning that you have two hearts. That narrows it down. But I still don't know who you are. But first, let me see if I can find your name. That's interesting. As far as I can tell, you don't have a proper name. No wait, you do, but it's well hidden, as if it has power. But there must be something people call you, the name you use to introduce yourself. Let me think: you always aim to save and heal, you do everything you can to preserve and protect. Oh, of course! Why didn't I think of it before? You're called the Doctor."


	3. Doctor Who?

"You really are as brilliant as they say, Mr. Holmes! Nice to meet you. I'm the Doctor, just as you said. You were right. About everything." His face became somber. "Don't tell them what I did. They'll lock me up or something. But I've changed since then. I would never do a thing like that."

"I believe you."

"Good."

"So, what kind of alien are you? And if you don't mind my asking, how old are you? Your body looks young but your eyes look very, very old."

"I'm a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey. I can travel through time and space in my TARDIS, a time machine. It was supposed to blend in with its surroundings, but it got stuck as a 1960's police box. I stole it (don't tell them that, either) and began to travel in time and space. We swore never to interfere, but I ignored that rule, even then. I was always saving people. Then began the Time War between my people and the Daleks. Things were getting desperate, and soon I had a terrible choice: destroy my people and be forever alone and filled with regret, or let the universe be destroyed."

"And you chose to save the universe."

"Yes. That's why I look so old to you, Mr. Holmes, I've seen terrible things before it was my time. Of course, I am old by human standards. My two hearts have been beating for much longer than one of yours ever would."

"And how long is that?"

"You wouldn't believe it."

"Try me."

"I've lived for 906 years."

"That explains it. I knew you looked old, Doctor."

•••

Lestrade walked in. "You've been an awfully long time. Made any progress?"

"Lots, actually. But I'm not done yet."

"Right then, I'll leave you to it."

"Thank you."

"You were saying, Doctor?"

"Oh, I don't have any more to say."

"What about the crime?"

"What crime?"

"The one you are supposedly a witness to."

"Oh, that one."

"Well?"

"Have you done an autopsy yet?"

"It's probably being done right now." "Look at the results first. You won't believe me else."

"I'll be right back."

"Are you done yet? We want to question him."

"I want to look at the autopsy report."

"You're in luck, it's just been finished. Go that way and you'll find the room. The autopsy report should be in there. Can we question the witness while you're gone?"

"You can try, but I want him again when I get back."

"Got it."


	4. A Strange Cause of Death

Molly was confused by Sherlock's sudden appearance. "What are you doing here so early, Sherlock? I thought you were interrogating."

"I was. I wanted to look at the autopsy report a minute."

"Here you go."

"Victim died by a shock to the heart... Wait, what's this?"

"The shock was administered by a strong energy surge. Stronger than has ever been seen. And an unknown kind of energy, too."

"Is that all?"

"Yes."

"Thank you. I've got to go now."

"Good luck!"

"Oh, I'm glad you're back. We couldn't get a word out of him. Except for your name. He kept asking to talk to you. I guess he thinks he's above us all, so he'll only talk to smart people like you."

"Fascinating. I've got more to talk to him about, so I'll go right in."

"You are very rude."

"What? What did I do?"

"You won't talk to anyone but me."

"That's 'cause your clever. And you'll listen to me and not think me a madman. Have you looked at the autopsy report?"

"Yes, it was quite confusing."

"I'd imagine so. You lot don't know what Daleks are."

"Those are the people your people fought, right?"

"My eternal enemies. They have a laser that can exterminate any living thing. One shock to the heart, that's all it takes. I saw the Dalek kill that woman. I didn't tell anyone else because they wouldn't have believed me."

"I believe you." "Good. Can you help me?"

"With what?" "Can you help me fight them off? There's got to be more than one."

"What good could I do?"

"I just need someone clever who believes me and believes in me. So, are you coming, or do I have to recruit someone else?"

"I'll come."

"Right then. Allons-y!"

•••

"Where are you going, freak?" Donnovan asked.

"The witness has something to show me."

"Can we come?"

"No," the Doctor said.

"Good luck with this rude man, Sherlock," Lestrade said.

"Thanks. I'll be back in a bit." Before walking off, the Doctor decided to apologize.

"Sorry for not talking to you or taking you with me. I didn't think you'd understand if I tried talking to you. And you're unfortunate enough to see me instead of one of my predecessors. This regeneration is rather rude, I'm afraid."

"What? That doesn't make any sense! What's a regeneration?" The Doctor sighed.

"My point exactly. I knew I should have kept quiet. Goodbye!"

"Honestly, he's as bad as Sherlock," LeStrade said when they were gone.


	5. Allons-y!

The Doctor pushed open the doors.

"But it says 'Pull to open'!"

"Rule two: the Doctor breaks the rules and does what he wants."

"What's rule one?"

"Ah, you don't miss a trick! Rule one is this: the Doctor lies. Now, come in and have a look."

"It's..."

"Go on, say it."

"The inside is disproportionate to the outside! Fascinating!"

"Most people just say 'It's bigger on the inside.'"

"I'm not most people."

"I suppose not."

"A fascinating machine, this is."

"It's..."

"Don't tell me; I want to guess. It's obviously a spaceship of some kind. It's got lots of levers and dials and buttons. Lots more than a regular ship would have. This many controls would be inefficient. Perhaps it was made to have several pilots, but it still wouldn't need quite this many controls. That suggests that this machine does something else. Any features not related to navigation would likely be controlled elsewhere, so there is another part of navigation involved. Perhaps this is a time machine? Am I right, Doctor?"

"It's called the TARDIS. Time And Relative Dimension In Space. It takes 6 pilots to be flown properly, but I manage just fine, although the ride is a bit bumpy at times."

"So I was right!"

"On all accounts. Good work, Mr. Holmes!"


	6. Exterminate! (Or not)

"Here we are!" The Doctor stepped out of the TARDIS and Sherlock followed.

"Just where is 'here', exactly?"

"The crime scene. This is where the Dalek was last sighted."

"How many are there?"

"I don't know. It may be just a few, or it may be thousands."

"What do they look like?"

"Big metal things with balls on the outside. One eyestalk with a blue lens coming out of the head. Two 'arms', a plunger on the left and a gun on the right."

"Aliens with guns built in?"

"They're not the only ones. Ever seen an Auton? I suppose you probably haven't. Never mind."

"So how do we find them?"

"Exterminate!" Came the sound of a harsh, metallic voice nearby. "We won't have to go looking; there's at least one right here."

"How do you kill a Dalek?"

"Aim for the eyestalk." The Dalek came out, and then there was the sound of a gunshot. The Dalek was hit right in the eyestalk. Sherlock turned around.

"How did you get here?"

"When I saw that thing disappear, I figured it was somewhere else, so I thought of the most logical place: the crime scene. I thought you might be here, and I was right. I just got here now."

"Ah, you must be Watson! You're brilliant, too! And a good shot."

"Thank you." The Doctor turned to the dying Dalek.

"Any last words?"

"We will still defeat you." It screeched haltingly.

"How many are you?"

"There are millions of us in the Genesis Ark."

"I will see that it will never be opened."

"Do not think you will win, Doctor. Daleks are supreme!" Then it died.

"Right then everyone, let's get back to the TARDIS."

"Is that what you call the blue box?" The Doctor nodded.

"Follow me."


	7. Watson in the TARDIS

The Doctor went into the TARDIS and the two men followed him. John's eyes went wide and his jaw dropped. "But..."

"Well, come on. Say it."

"That's impossible."

"That's another first."

"It's like... Another dimension."

"That's because it is."

"Amazing." The TARDIS hissed and fizzed. Sparks flew and it started to smoke.

"Um... Oh, I don't know your name."

"I'm the Doctor."

"Doctor who?"

"Just the Doctor."

"Right then, Doctor. No, I can't call you that. I don't know you're a doctor and you won't even give me a proper name. Anyway, whoever you are, is it supposed to do that?"

"No, she's broken. Let me see what's the matter."

"She?" Watson asked incredulously as the Doctor began inspecting the TARDIS closely. "This stupid piece of machinery can't be a she!" An indignant whirring came.

"Yes she can. My TARDIS is alive. And don't you dare insult her."

"Or what, you madman?" John said.

"Or she'll hurt you or trap you in some room and make you lost or who knows what?"

•••

The Doctor rummaged around the bottom through the workings of the TARDIS. "I'm going to need a wrench. And a pair of pliers," he said with his sonic screwdriver in his teeth. Sherlock started rummaging in his pockets.

"I'm sure I have those in here somewhere," he said, bewilderedly.

"Try taking everything out," John said. Sherlock obliged and emptied his pockets. All that was there was a fob watch.

"Nothing at all," he said.

"What about that?" John pointed at the fob watch.

"What?" Sherlock asked, looking directly at it. The Doctor gasped.

"What?" John asked.

"What." The Doctor finished.


	8. What Watch?

The Doctor looked at it closely. It was just like the watch he'd had as a human. The Doctor pointed at it. "Do you see this, Sherlock?"

"No."

"Then I was right."

"About what?" The Doctor picked it up and dangled it.

"Do you see it now?"

"It's a watch."

"Yes."

"So?"

"Where did you get it?"

"I dunno. I've just... had it."

"For how long?" Sherlock paused.

"For as long as I can remember."

"Do you use it?"

"No, not at all. It's broken. It won't open and it won't tell time. It's not pretty enough to be a decoration. I don't even know why I've kept it."

"Because you needed it. Because it was you."


	9. You Are Not Alone (again)

"Open it. Perhaps I am not alone after all."

"What are you talking about?"

"It could be the fob watch associated with chameleon arch technology. You could be a Time Lord in disguise."

"If I was, I'd know."

"No, you wouldn't. You believe the identity you are given. I'd know. Once I had to hide from a group of aliens, and so I used it. For a while, I truly believed that I was John Smith, a headmaster at a school in England in 1939. The only glimpse of reality I had was in the form of dreams, which I insisted would be fiction. I didn't become human until I opened the watch. John Smith was gone, but he still remained in my memories."

"But... I can't. That would mean my whole life is a lie! Sherlock Holmes is amazing! He's got to be completely real!"

"Don't you see, Sherlock? With the chameleon arch, you can be many things, but not something totally unlike you. Sherlock is a genius because the Time Lord in you is a genius. You won't get worse, just different. Trust me, you'll like being a Time Lord. So, are you ready to embrace who you really are?"

•••

Sherlock opened it and huon energy flew into him. "You're right, Doctor. You're not the last of your kind anymore." The Doctor smiled.

"Who are you?"

"I'm the Detective. What better persona for me than Sherlock Holmes, the most brilliant detective of them all? Remember me, Doctor?"

"Of course, my brother! We were good friends, too. Experts of deduction and learning. Those were good times."

"They were indeed," the Detective sighed.

"So if you're a Time Lord who borrowed an identity from a story, then who is Watson?"

"Turns out Watson was real. Or at least based on a real person."

"Amazing. But I have one question for you: how did you survive the Time War?"

"A bit of a coward in my last regeneration, I flew away in my TARDIS. I regenerated, so nobody would recognize me. Then, to be extra sure, I became human. But how about you? Wait, you didn't become human, then you..."

"Yeah. Let's not go there. Painful memories."

"And what about Mycroft?"

"Well, I'm not sure. He exists. He might be a Time Lord, though; he's got a watch he can't seem to notice. Hm... I can't seem to find anything more in my mind palace. You know, I should call it a mind TARDIS! After all, it is bigger on the inside."

"Back to Mycroft. What does he do?"

"He works in the government. Mostly undercover stuff, you know, surveillance and all that, but every now and then he deals with diplomatic matters."

"I wonder is he's our brother the Spy."

"Crafty man, I bet he could be."

"We can come back to that, Detective."

"Wait, before you change the subject, what's regeneration?" John asked, totally confused.

"Time Lords have this little trick. A way of cheating death," the Doctor explained.

"We use a burst of energy to heal and repair our cells, so we can live again," the Detective continued.

"But the energy is so strong that we change even more than that. Once regenerated, a Time Lord becomes a new man. New face, new body, new personality, new everything."

"Unless you cheat, finding somewhere to channel the extra energy."

"Such as putting energy into a dead body or body part," the Doctor added. "I did that once."

"So when you died..." John started. The Detective nodded.

"Right before going on to the roof, Molly released me temporarily so that I could live. She's a genius. That's why I needed her. And she had all those dead bodies. After I regenerated when no one was looking, I made one of them live again with my extra energy. Well, actually, I also had to find someone to touch the body to start a biological metacrisis. If I left that body alone, who knows who it would be, and we don't want a part psychopath on our hands. After it all, I went back to being Sherlock Holmes because I missed him."

"Who'd you get for the metacrisis?" The Doctor asked.

"Oh, just someone from my homeless network. I had to remain alive somehow."

"Oh, I could kill you," John seethed.

"It wouldn't work, remember?" John glared.


	10. No, It Couldn't Be

"But enough of that," the Doctor cut in. "What about Moriarty?"

"He's here, but there's something different about him. Every time I've encountered him, I've had that meta crisis headache - you know, when you almost remember who you or someone else is, but not quite? I think he might be another Time Lord. Who else survived?"

"No, it couldn't be..."

"What is it?" John asked.

"The only survivor I know of was the Master. He became human, too. And then he opened the watch. But he died. I saw him die. I burned his body. It can't be."

"You didn't watch him till the last second, did you? You didn't wait until he was all ashes."

"So? He died."

"He could have faked his death and then done a delayed regeneration." The Doctor gasped.

"We have to stop him."


	11. Captain Jack Harkness

They walked out of the TARDIS and were met by a Dalek. "Exterminate!" John started to pull out his gun, but before he could pull the trigger, the Dalek's whole head was blasted off. Everyone turned around.

"Jack!" the Doctor shouted. "How did you get here?"

"Vortex manipulator." He pointed to his wrist.

"But you were in a parallel universe! How - oh! There are two Time Lords alive. The ability is restored. Of course!" Jack nodded.

"Captain Jack Harkness," he said, shaking Sherlock's hand. "And who are you?"

"No flirting, Jack! I'm sure Sherlock doesn't want your attention."

"I was only saying hello!"

"For you, that's flirting." Jack paused expectantly. "That's the part where you're supposed to say 'I don't mind.'"

"Well I do, so too bad!"

"Oh? Something going on between you two?" He pointed to Sherlock and John. John laughed.

"No, he's just not interested in any relationship. We have a strictly professional partnership and a strictly platonic friendship." Sherlock nodded his approval.

"Thank you, John. Now, first things first: shall we go see Mycroft?"

"Of course, Detective. Or do you prefer to keep the name Sherlock?"

"I like Detective, but I've grown accustomed to Sherlock. I kind of like it actually."

"Enough talk, let's get going already."

"Right you are, Watson! Follow me, everyone. Allons-y!"


	12. Brother Dear, How Nice To See You

"Hello, Mycroft! Good to see you!"

"Oh hello, brother! I didn't know you'd be dropping by!"

"I just decided a few minutes ago, actually."

"You got here fast," Mycroft noted. "I see you've brought Watson and... who's this?"

"Hello, I'm the Doctor. I'm his br... friend. I'm his friend. Nice to meet you. You must be Mycroft. He was just telling me how brilliant you are."

"And I'm Captain Jack Harkness."

"Don't start!"

"Can't I even say hello?"

"No. Sorry about that Mycroft, my friend here is a bit presumptuous. I hope you forgive him."

"That's all right. Although he should know flirting will get him nowhere with me. So, what brings you here?"

"I thought I might have left my watch last time we came here," John said. "It looks like this, but it's not this one; this is Sherlock's."

"Hm, I don't think so. Sorry."

"Check your left coat pocket," the Detective suggested, whispering "that's where he keeps it" to the Doctor.

"As you wish," Mycroft said, reaching inside. He pulled out a watch, just like Sherlock's. The Doctor inspected it.

"Yep, it's our brother," he whispered to the Detective. "Would you mind opening it for us?"

"It's never opened before; I don't see why it would now." "Just try," Jack asked. "If you insist." It opened easily, and Mycroft staggered back as the Huon energy flowed into him. He gasped. "My brothers! Doctor, you are alone no longer! Detective, it's good to work with you again! I'm the Spy. The investigative trio is back!"

"Investigative trio?" John asked.

"I infiltrate the government, organization, etc. and find out what's going on," the Spy said.

"I investigate, look for clues, and make deductions," the Detective said.

"I solve the problem, save the life, or do whatever I can to be the Doctor," the Doctor said.

"Sounds like a force to be reckoned with." "Oh, we were indeed," the Spy replied.

"Don't mess with the three of us!" the Detective shouted.

"Never fear when we are here!" the Doctor said with a smile.

"So, now what?" John asked.

"Into the storm!" the Spy said.

"On to danger and excitement and on to Moriarty," the Detective added.

All the clever things having been said already, the Doctor was left with little to say but "Allons-y!" And with that, they left to meet their fate.


	13. Into the Storm

The three Time Lords worked the TARDIS together.

"Sure is a lot smoother ride this time," John noted.

The Doctor replied, "This thing is supposed to have six pilots. Three isn't quite the same, but it's better than one." John couldn't argue with that logic.

"So, what about the Daleks?" Jack asked.

"What about them?"

"I don't think they're involved with the Master. Who's going to stop them?" "I'll get to them eventually."

"After they've wiped out the planet! Listen, Doctor," Jack said, hoisting his giant gun over his shoulders. "I'll do it. Just put me near them and I'll blast them to pieces."

"But you'll die." Jack stared at the Doctor. "Oh, right. If you insist."

"Wait, what?" John asked.

"He's not a Time Lord, but he can't die. It's... complicated." The Doctor dropped Jack off, and they went on their way. "One thing I should tell you all before we land," the Doctor said. "I was told my song was ending. I was told 'He will knock four times.' Four knocks, and then I die. Well hopefully, I'll regenerate. I've still got one left."

"So you're the Twelfth?" "Actually no, the Tenth. Some weird stuff happened so that I already regenerated 11 times. I'll explain later. In the meantime, Allons-y!"

"You sure love that word," the Detective noted.

"Yet I never heard you say it before today," the Spy commented.

"It's unique to this regeneration. This Tenth Doctor, he does love a good bit of fun." He smiled. "As I said, let's go!"


	14. I'm a Fighter

The Doctor's fate was in the hands of the Master (who was indeed Moriarty), until it became clear that the man next to the Doctor had not changed. It was John Watson.

"What's wrong with him?" Moriarty/the Master asked. "Why didn't he change?" John pulled out his trusty gun.

"Because I'm a fighter, and I'm not going to give in so easily. Not when my friends are in danger. I am stronger than you think."

"And so are we," the Detective and the Spy added, coming out of hiding.

"Oh, Sherlock, my good friend. Or enemy. One of those two. I see you've found out who you really are. And Mycroft, you too! Oh, what fun this is!"

"The Investigative trio is back in business," they said in unison.

"Ugh, I hate that part. Why do you always..."

"Have to know," the Doctor started

"what the others," the Detective continued

"are thinking?" the Spy finished.

"Get out of here," the Master complained.

"That was our plan anyway," the Doctor said. "Run!" he shouted as they escaped. The Detective freed the Doctor with his sonic, emitting a forest-green glow. With the vinvocci's help, they escaped to the spaceship.

"What's the plan now?" John asked. All three Time Lords started cracking up. "I don't get it. What's so funny?"

"He thinks we have a plan!" the Detective laughed.

"Great. No plan. Now what?"

"We go to man the lasers and avoid getting shot by the missiles," the Spy said. "And that's just for starters. After that, I don't know."


	15. Time Can Be Rewritten

After an epic battle between the Investigative trio, the Master, and the returned Time Lords, the latter two were gone. At the end of it all, John was stuck in the radiation chamber. Just as the Doctor was exclaiming that he was still alive, Watson knocked four times.

"You spoke too soon, old man," the Detective noted. The Doctor explained to Watson that the chamber was about to flood with lethal radiation and he had to let Watson die or die himself.

"Wait!" the Spy shouted. "Time can be rewritten. You've said so yourself many times. I'll go. I've got many regenerations left. More than either of you, and certainly more than Watson, who can't regenerate at all! I'll do it, for your sakes." He stepped in. The Spy writhed in agony as he absorbed all the radiation. He stepped out at last.

"You're still alive!" John noted.

"So far."

"You've got some battle scars on your face." The Spy pulled his hands across his face and they were healed.

"It's starting."

"You might want to look away now," the Doctor noted.

"No, I want to see," John insisted.

"Well you'll have to squint at least." John wondered at this remark but had little time to ponder it. The Spy's hands and face began to glow. Softly at first, and then there was a blinding flash of light and a new man stood before them.

"Told you to look away," the Doctor said to John.

"Shut up," he answered.

"Hello, good to see you all as a new person. I feel so strange. Nothing quite like regeneration to give you the shivers and the strangest sensations." The other Time Lords nodded in agreement. "So, how do I look?"

"No fair," the Doctor said.

"What?"

"I always wanted to be ginger!"

"Oh, I'm ginger, great! How about the rest of me? What do I look like?" The Detective handed him a mirror.

"Quite useful at crime scenes. Sometimes I see what I would otherwise have missed." The Spy looked into the magnifying glass, confused.

"Flip it over, you idiot." He did, to reveal the mirror.

"Not bad! I could live with this!"


	16. Come With Me

"All right, enough fun, time to go," the Doctor said. They piled into the TARDIS. "Anyone wanna come with me?"

"I'd love to," the Spy said, "but I've got work to do."

"London would not be safe if I left," the Detective protested. "Not that it's ever that safe to begin with..."

"I've got to stay with Sherlock. Can I still call you that?"

"I suppose so. The police department hardly puts up with me as it is. I don't think they'd appreciate calling me 'Detective'. It might be a bit much. Anyway, sorry Doctor, but I've got to stay, you see."

"Of course. Well, if any of you change your mind, just give me a call. You know my number, right?"

"Unless your TARDIS phone number has changed since the last time we met," the Spy said. "Nope. It's the same."

"But I don't know the number."

"One of my brothers here can tell you, right?" They nodded. "And if you don't call me soon enough, I might just drop by unannounced for a visit." He smiled. "Well, I've got to go. Thanks. Bye!"


End file.
